Forged
by TX17
Summary: In a thousand lifetimes, these two have always been foes. The hands they were dealt by fate this time, however, has them forge a different bond. One of comrades, fighting for the same cause. But are they each as devoted to the cause as they claim?
1. The General

_**I do not own the rights to the Legend of Zelda series.**_

_**Please read and review.**_

* * *

Steel clashed against steel. Swords, axes, maces, halberds, weapons of every kind were being swung left and right. Blood spilled and soldiers screamed. The yellow sands at their feet turned crimson with the mass of death. Up above the battlefield, a large, dark-skinned man clad in bronze and leather armor watched over the violent skirmish.

"General!" called a voice from behind, "General! There's too many of them! We have to fall back!" The lieutenant approached the General, blood running down his face.

"Retreat?" the general spat, "From these swine that Arcturio calls soldiers?"

"Sir!" the lieutenant said again, "They outnumber us fifteen to one! We can't win!"

The general scowled. "Go get your wounds treated. Send the healers to aid any stuck on the field. Have them guarded as they work."

"Yes, sir."

The general narrowed his eyes and glared across the field. "Lieutenant," he called as the lieutenant limped away.

"Sir?" he turned and asked.

"Do you know what separates a rat like Arcturio from a soldier like me?"

"…Sir?"

"A rat will only fight when it is most suited to," the general continued, stepping towards the ledge. "A soldier fights always for his men and his people." He drew the bronze greatsword that had been resting on his back, and leapt off the ledge and onto the field.

Almost immediately, enemy soldiers began to attack him, some even ignoring their current opponents. One lunged their blade towards him. The general sidestepped it, and knocked the soldier to the ground with a swing of his arm. He then took hold of his blade with both hands and plunged the greatsword downwards and into the soldier's spine. Another attacked him, and was met with the sole of his boot. The general picked up his sword and gave a mighty swing, slicing straight through their armor and leaving deep gashes in the soldier's chest.

"General!" one of his own men called out to him.

"Keep your spirits and your swords up, boys!" he shouted to his soldiers, "We're not beaten yet!"

Having caught a second wind, the general's army began to push their enemies back.

* * *

On the opposite side of the field, a knight in dark crimson armor with long, grey hair sat in his tent, looking at the charts laid out before him. "If we can push him southwest, he'll be caught like an animal. Anywhere else shouldn't really pose a problem, but should he flee to the east…"

"General Arcturio, sir!" called the royalist captain, "He's stepped onto the battlefield, sir!"

"What?! So soon?!" screamed Arcturio. He stood up and walked towards his officers. "Give me that spyglass!" He shouted, snatching it from the user's hands. He looked through it and, sure enough, the rebel general had stepped onto the battlefield. "That bastard!" He tightened his fist around the spyglass and turned to his officers. "SEND OUT ALL REMAINING FORCES! CUT OFF ANY ESCAPE TO THE EAST, TRY TO FORCE HIM SOUTHWEST!"

"Yes sir!" they acknowledged, and dispersed.

"It's too late for them to turn this around us," the captain stated, "…isn't it, sir?"

"If there's one thing I learned after near thirty years of military service," Arcturio muttered, "It's that that man can alone could change the entire outcome of a battle." He collapsed the spyglass and moved back towards his tent. "Prepare the wagons and pack horses in case we need to retreat."

* * *

"Yes, sir."

Another one of Arcturio's men fell to the sand.

"They're flanking us!" called one man.

"Predictable, Arcturio," the Rebel General chuckled, "He's trying to force us southwest."

"Southwest, sir?"

"Into the canyon," the general said, swinging his blade at another one of Arcturio's men. "It won't be so easy, Arcturio. I hope you at least know that." Smiling, he raised his sword into the sky. "FORWARD!"

The Rebels advanced. The weaker-willed royalists began running away.

"RUN!" shouted the general, cutting down another foe, "RUN HOME! RUN BACK TO YOUR CASTLE WALLS! RUN BACK TO YOUR MAD KING! TELL HIM WE'LL TOLERATE HIS TYRANNY NO LONGER! TELL HIM HIS PEOPLE WILL SOON BE FREE OF HIM AND HIS OPPRESSION!"

The bellow of horns sounding the retreat rang out across the skies over the battlefield. Arcturio had signaled the end. The royalists fell away from the battlefield, fleeing for their lives.

The rebels all cried out a victorious cheer. The day was theirs.

"We won, General," the lieutenant said, "What next?"

"We rest," said the general, removing his helmet, revealing his red hair and golden eyes, "Tomorrow, we push forward."

"Yes, General Dragmire," the lieutenant said, turning towards the men. He quickly turned his face back towards his general and said, "This victory would not have been possible without you, sir." He turned back to the soldiers, "LONG LIVE GENERAL DRAGMIRE!"

"LONG LIVE GENERAL DRAGMIRE!" the soldiers chanted back. "LONG LIVE GENERAL DRAGMIRE! LONG LIVE GENERAL DRAGMIRE!"

The men continued their chant as General Ganondorf Dragmire walked back towards his tent. He chuckled and shook his head, and retired for the night.

* * *

_**So, what did you think? This was mainly a practice to try and improve my imagery. I don't think I've ever been really good at that.**_

_**This is the first chapter of what I hope to be an entertaining story. Maybe I can actually finish this one, eh? I haven't abandoned my other projects, I just don't know how to proceed. It's far too common of a problem for me, I know. I'm sorry, I'll try to get them up and running again, I swear.**_

_**But I doubt it will be any time soon. As of May 8, 2013, I am going on hiatus. I'll maybe post a few more updates between now (April 30, 2013) and then, but no promises. The hiatus will last until AT LEAST May 8, 2015. Let's just say I'll be away and not press the matter any further. I'll keep trying to develop my stories, but there will be no updates until that point.**_

_**As that date is so close, I am obviously NOT going to finish this story unless I can crank out about seven chapters a day. Which is not going to happen. But I had this great idea and I didn't want it to rust away in the back of my mind, so I figured I'd get it started and jot down notes for the rest elsewhere.**_

_**So, tell me, what did you think? Was it good? Bad? How so? Can I make it better? How so?**_


	2. Possession

_**I do not own the rights to the Legend of Zelda series.**_

_**Please read and review.**_

* * *

A gentle breeze blew across the fields. The warm sun shone above in the bright blue sky. The crops in the tilled field swayed with the soft winds. It was the harvest season. Farmers and field hands were reaping the wheat and crops and preparing them to be bundled and sold. Livestock grazed. Horses trotted around in the field, or stood waiting in the stables.

"Not a chance, Mido," said the larger, bulkier stable hand, "Dragmire's rebels don't stand a chance."

"How do you figure that, Fado? He beat back General Arcturio's men in the middle of the desert!" said the smaller, scrawnier one.

"It makes sense, he's a desert dweller!"

"His soldiers aren't!"

"Ah, you don't know what you're talkin' about!" said the larger one, turning to a blonde stable hand off to the left. "Hey, Link, what do you think?"

Link looked up, and wiped the sweat from his brow. "About what?" he asked.

"Whaddya mean, 'About what?'" asked Fado, "About the war."

"What of it?" Link raised his brow.

"Who do you think's gonna win?"

Link turned back towards his work, shaking his head. He stabbed the pitchfork into a haypile and tossed what he had grabbed into one of the horse's pens.

"You know he doesn't care," said Mido, "Link's only interested in his work."

They continued to argue. Link shut the two out. He grabbed a few sugar cubes and walked over to a red mare with a long, white mane. He extended his hand towards the horse, and the animal happily accepted.

"That's Link for you," came a deep, calm voice. Link, Fado, and Mido turned around to see the ranch owner standing before them. Rusl's mustachioed lip curled into a smile as he continued, "Entire kingdom's at war, including you two slackers, and the only thing on his mind is that horse."

Link chuckled, "Epona is my oldest friend. Of course I'm more concerned with her." He smiled and stroked the mare's mane. "If the king wants to waste his men in some lost cause of a war, it's not my business."

"Of course it is," said Mido.

"The kingdom's at war," Fado added, "It's all our business."

"All right, boys, enough," Rusl interjected, "Sun will set soon. Wrap things up here, then you can go."

"Yes, sir," Fado and Mido said, quickly going back to their duties.

Rusl turned around and began walking out. As he left, he said, "By the way, Link, I hope you're hungry. Uli made plenty of seared greengill."

"Sounds great," he smiled, as he continued to stroke Epona. He patted her one more time before returning to his work.

The sky was red with the setting sun. Link walked back towards Rusl's manor, accompanied by Mido and Fado, whose homes were in the same direction.

* * *

"All I'm saying is, Arcturio has no chance," Mido told Fado, "If it was any other opponent, sure, he could win."

"And I'm tellin' you that you're-," Fado began, but stopped as he bumped into Link. "Oof! What's goin' on? Why'd we stop?"

Link stared up at the hill. Several armed men were at the door, speaking with Rusl. He began running swiftly up the hill, Fado and Mido calling after him. He ran up to the door, and two of the men held him back. They pushed him away from the door, and he saw that they were wearing the Hylian crest on their armor.

"What's going on? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Government business. Doesn't concern you."

"This is my home! It damn well does concern me!"

"Link!" Rusl called out. He a sharp glare in his eyes that said, "_Stay calm, and stay quiet._"

"Very well, if you must know," came a snide voice. A thin man with long, dark hair stepped forward, dressed in fancy, colorful clothes, and a dark grey-blue breastplate. "These farmlands are now under the control of Baronet Lorenzo Viana. Me."

"What?" Link asked in disbelief, "By what authority do you have any right-"

Rusl shot Link another look, and the stable hand quickly quieted down. Viana opened a roll of parchment and read, "'By the authority of King Barbarus I of Hyrule, the Ordona Province farmlands are hereby under government control, with Baronet Lorenzo Viana as overseer and landlord.'"

Link glared at the man, baring his teeth.

Viana smiled slyly, and put away the parchment. "These lands have been seized for the war effort, boy," he chided Link, "This is for the good of your country. You can continue to work these lands, for which you shall be paid a wage by the government. Or you can be arrested for trespassing on government property. The decision is yours." Viana snapped his fingers, and the soldiers stood at attention. "Let's go. We'll be back in three days, Rusl. You have until then to relocate."

As they walked away, Mido walked past Link and whispered, "So… is it your business now?"

* * *

_**Not as long as I would have liked, but at least I'm updating, eh?**_

_**Okay, chapter two. I hope to get to at least chapter five before I leave. CHEER ME ON, FANS.**_

_**So, what did you think? Good? Bad? How so? Can I make it better? How so?**_


	3. Epona

_**I do not own the rights to the Legend of Zelda series.**_

_**Please read and review.**_

* * *

It had been a little over a week since Viana had seized the farmlands. The entire province was under watch by armed guards. Anyone who refused to surrender their lands to Viana was arrested by the military and their lands were seized anyway. Those who stayed on were given a meager wage of two rupees per day.

Rusl and his family had been evicted from the manor and were moved to a small farmhouse that belonged to a farmer who had refused to leave and was arrested. Viana himself took up residence in the manor, and regularly patrolled the farmlands, looking for the slightest errors to punish.

"I don't believe this," Mido said, "You STILL support Arcturio's men?"

"There's no way Ganondorf can win!" Fado said, "The war'll be over in a few weeks and Ganondorf'll be dead."

"Well said. Well said indeed," came Viana's snide voice from the stable door. The dark haired noble stepped forward, and cracked his whip on the ground, right next to Mido's foot. "_You_, on the other hand, are speaking treason." He grabbed Mido's chin with his gloved hand, and brought the small stable hand close. "See to it that I do not hear it again." He tossed Mido to the ground and smiled. He turned to Fado and said, "I need a horse. He needs to be swift and strong. Give me your best."

"Yes, sir," Fado said, moving towards Epona. Link saw this and stepped in.

"I recommend this one, sir," Link said, pointing to a large, gray stallion. "Fastest on the farm, and durable as any other horse."

Viana furrowed his brow. "You," he said, turning to Fado, "You weren't going for this horse, were you?"

"No, sir," Fado replied, "I was goin' for Epona here. Fastest in the whole province, tougher than any stallion we got."

Viana grimaced. "A _mare_?" he asked, not wanting to sully himself by riding one. He glanced at the scowling Link and smiled, "Well, if you say _she_'s the fastest, then I guess I'll take her for a ride." He pointed at Link with his whip and said, "You there. Saddle her up, and be quick about it."

Begrudgingly, the blonde obliged. He went to retrieve the saddle, shoving Fado to the side as he did so. As he placed the saddle on, he stroked her mane and led her out of the stable. Viana climbed up and sat down in the saddle. He looked at Link and smiled. He then kicked Link to the floor. "Too slow, boy," the nobleman spat, "When I say 'be quick about it,' you damn well best be _quick_ about it." He turned Epona around and rode off.

Link staggered to his feet as Mido and Fado walked over to help him up.

"Sorry, Link," Fado said.

Link shook free of their grips, and stormed inside the stable. He angrily grabbed a pitchfork and began stabbing and shoveling hay.

* * *

Link stood alone at the doorway of the stable. Fado and Mido had left already, all the work was done. The only thing left was to settle Epona back into her pen.

It wasn't long before he could see Epona and Viana come into view. The nobleman rode closer, and dismounted at the stable door.

"Well, perhaps I have misjudged you, boy. At least you had the sense to stick around," he said as he dismounted. Link stepped forward and grabbed Epona's reigns and led her back to her pen. As he removed the stable, he noticed a long scar running across her backside.

"What the hell is this?!" he asked angrily.

"She wasn't going fast enough, so I… _encouraged_ her," Viana said, cracking his whip.

Link's eyes widened, and the narrowed with anger. "You _whipped_ her?" he asked, enraged. "You _WHIPPED_ her?"

"Yes," Viana stated bluntly, and furrowed his brow. "She's a useless animal. Doesn't do as she's told. She would serve better as a meal than a mare."

Link clenched his fist and stepped forward, "You arrogant, pompous son of a-"

_CRACK_

Link fell back to the floor as Viana cracked his whip across the stable hand's chest. The nobleman stepped forward and planted his boot firmly on Link's chest. "You forget yourself, boy," Viana chided, "I am the governor of these lands. And of you. Remember it." He removed his boot from Link's chest and walked away. As he approached the stable exit, he stopped and turned to Link. "Normally, I'd threaten you with arrest. But, somehow, I think you'd stop caring after a bit. So here's my ultimatum to you, boy. Stay in line, or I have this pitiful excuse for a horse gutted and thrown in the river. Do we understand each other?"

Link staggered to his feet, his teeth bared in anger.

"I said," Viana repeated himself, "Do we understand each other?'"

Link narrowed his eyes, giving a glare so sharp, as if to try and pierce Viana's skull with it. But he remained silent.

"You don't listen well," Viana said, and stepped over to Link. He lifted himself up on his toes to be at eye level with Link. "I asked you a question. You will answer me. Like I said, 'Stay in line.' Now, I ask you again. Do we understand each other?"

"Yes, _sir_," Link growled.

"Good," Viana replied, turning to leave. "It's time you learned who had the power here, boy. When you get here tomorrow, prepare the gray stallion you mentioned earlier. He'll be much better than that moronic beast you call a horse."

Link clenched his fist and stared at Viana with a look of hatred. As soon as the nobleman was out of view, he let out a loud, guttural shout and punched a wooden beam hard enough to nearly break it.

He was snapped out of his rage by Epona's whinny. He grabbed a few sugar cubes and walked over to the mare.

* * *

_**TADA. CAPITULO TRES.**_

_**Do you hate Viana yet? Did you already hate him?**_

_**Was this chapter good? How so? Bad? How so? Can I make it better? How so? **_


	4. Rebellion

_**I do not own the rights to the Legend of Zelda series.**_

_**Please read and review. Thank you.**_

* * *

"I can't believe you're just going to stand aside and let this happen," Link said, taking a swig from his mug.

"What else can I do?" Rusl asked, pouring himself a drink. He walked over to Link. "Fight them?"

"That's one thought I had," Link replied.

Rusl smirked and shook his head, then downed a mouthful of ale. "With what army? Do you see any soldiers in this province that_ aren't_ under the baronet?"

Link took another drink and said nothing.

"We're farmers, Link," Rusl continued, "not soldiers."

"Some of history's greatest warriors have been less than farmers," Link replied.

"All right, say we do fight," Rusl said, sitting down across from Link, "You put the entire province at risk of reprisal. Are you willing to risk all those lives?"

"People should be willing to risk their lives from their homes and families."

"Are _you_ willing to risk _their_ homes and families?"

Link's eyes widened for a moment, and he looked down silently.

"Now you see," Rusl said, "I stand aside because these lives are not mine to risk."

"So," Link said, "we're to just sit there and take their abuse."

"Each man has his limit, Link," Rusl said, standing up. "When they're pushed far enough, they'll begin to push back." He walked over to Link and patted him on the back. "Look at me."

Link turned his head.

"When the people are ready to rise, and when you do fight back, you had better be ready to keep fighting to protect all it is that they are risking." Rusl turned away from Link and went to pour himself another mug of ale. "Best you get going, Link," he said, "You've work to do in the morning."

* * *

Viana sat mounted on a gray stallion, looking over the farmland. Crops were being harvested, animals were being fed. Everything was in order.

"How dull," he said to himself, and began moving the horse down the hill. He looked around for anyone who wasn't doing their job right. Any excuse to use his whip. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something that brightened his day. A little boy struggling to carry a bushel of wheat. A twisted grin curled his lips, and he rode over to the boy. "You there!" he shouted, "Why are you dallying about? Get that bushel to the cart now!"

The boy dropped the bushel as soon as he noticed that Viana was speaking to him. Fear filled his eyes.

The sinister smile came across Viana's face once more. "Refusing to do you work, are you?" he continued, "I know just how to deal with you, troublemaker." With a look of joy in his eyes, Viana raised his whip.

The whip's crack echoed across the province, along with the boy's fearful yell. But the boy hadn't been hurt. Rusl had jumped in the way.

"What?" Viana shouted, "What the devil are you doing?"

"Disgusting animal," said Rusl, turning to face Viana. "Attacking a defenseless child!"

"You want his lashings?"

"I'll take them all!"

Viana was taken aback at Rusl's selflessness. His eyes narrowed, and he scowled. "Fine then."

"What the hell was that?" Fado asked, the scream having shaken him from his work.

"Sounded like Rusl," Mido said.

Suddenly, both Mido and Fado were knocked aside by Link, heading off in the direction of the shout. He cut through the fields, jumping over, ducking under, or shoving aside any obstacle in his path.

Again, the whip's crack echoed. Link kept running.

He followed the source of the noise until he saw Viana, sitting on his horse, tearing the flesh off Rusl's back with his whip.

_CRACK_

Rusl winced in pain, but did not move.

_CRACK_

"Stand aside, and you won't be whipped further," Viana said.

"No," Rusl growled through clenched teeth.

_CRACK_

"Stand aside, I said."

"I won't."

_CRACK_

"STAND ASIDE!"

_CRACK_

"Go to hell," Rusl spat.

Viana's face went red with rage. "GUARDS! SEIZE HIM!" he commanded.

Two soldiers grabbed Rusl by each arm and held him in place.

"No!" Link shouted, and ran forward. Two more guards stood in his path, their spears at Link's throat.

"It's high time you learned you're not in charge here anymore, you disgusting, inbred peasant," Viana said, and spat in Rusl's face. He slapped Rusl with the back of his hand, and said, "As penance for your insubordinate, treasonous acts, _you_ will whip the boy."

A look of defiance plastered itself onto Rusl's face. "No," he growled.

Viana's eye twitched in anger. He dropped his whip to the floor, and turned to one of the guards. "I WANT ALL OF YOU TO WATCH THIS!" he roared to the onlookers. He ripped a sword from a soldier's scabbard and turned back towards Rusl. "ACTS OF INSUBORDINATION ARE TREASON, AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR THEM ANY LONGER! THE PENALTY IS DEATH!" He plunged the blade into Rusl's stomach, and yanked the sword upwards, causing it to tear through his abdomen. He then kicked Rusl in the chest and sent the rancher falling to the dirt.

Link's eyes widened in fear and disbelief. He slowly backed away from the scene, before turning and running.

Viana wiped the sweat from his brow, and turned to the laborers. They were in shock, and not one of them was working. Viana's rage built up once again. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL STARING AT? GET BACK TO WORK!"

None of them moved.

"ARE YOU ALL DEAF!?" Viana screamed, "GET BACK TO WORK NOW!"

A few of the laborers stepped forward, looks of anger on their faces.

Viana slowly backed away, moving towards his horse. "I'm warning you. Get back to work, or end up like him."

Even more laborers stepped forward. Their fists clenched, and eyes focused on Viana.

"Don't do anything you'll regret," Viana threatened, his voice quivering.

The people began moving forward, armed with sickles, scythes, shovels, and anything else they could get their hands on.

Viana's expression was now one of terror. He ran towards his horse, and yelled, "SOLDIERS! EXECUTE THEM ALL!"

The guards readied their weapons, and moved to stop the people from getting to the cowardly nobleman. For a moment, neither side made a move. But after a small silence, a farmer let out a battle cry and lunged at one of the soldiers, his hands at the guard's throat. The other laborers quickly followed his example, and attacked.

The grey skies echoed with the roar of a hundred angry farmers, caught in a battle against their oppressors.

One field hand delivered a fierce blow to a soldier's skull. To his left, another field hand's lifeless body fell the ground as a soldier removed his spear. Behind them, two laborers both pulled a soldier to the ground, and began attacking him with clubs. Not far from them, a Hylian soldier was slashing his sword across a farmer's stomach, and turning to face another opponent. Next to him, a field hand ripped his scythe out of a guard's soldier. Left and right, steel clashed, fists collided, and bodies fell. Acts of brutality flooded the once peaceful farmland.

A blonde-haired young man armed with a pitchfork rode out of the stables on the back of a white-maned, red mare, a fire lit in his blue eyes. He seized his horse's reign with his free hand, and charged into battle. He looked left and right for his target. As soon as he saw the man, he whipped the reigns and pushed Epona to charge ahead.

Viana slashed his sword left and right, cutting down any farmer who came near. He looked around for an exit, wildly swinging his blade to keep any threats at bay.

"VIANA!" Link yelled out.

The nobleman turned, and his eyes met Link's. Link raised his pitchfork, and pointed it at the noble. With a look of absolute dread on his face, Viana violently pulled on the reigns of his horse, causing the beast to rear up and turn around. Link saw his mark beginning to flee, and whipped Epona's reigns again. She charged forward as Link swung his pole-arm to clear a path.

Much faster than the gray stallion, Epona quickly gained on Viana. Link whipped her reigns once more to keep her going, and raised his foot up to the saddle. Closer and closer he drew, tightly seizing the reigns to stay on, he lifted his other leg, and leapt from the horse's back.

Viana turned back, and saw his pursuer flying through the air at him. He let out a cry of shock and fear, and Link tackled the nobleman off his horse, and drove the pitchfork through his breastplate.

The blonde stood up, and pulled his weapon from the nobleman's body. He raised it high into the air and let out a victorious shout. Both laborers and soldiers looked up and saw who the victor was. Now leaderless, the soldiers began to flee from the farmlands, and soon, the province.

* * *

_**If you could see the huge fight as I picture it in my head, that would be amazing.**_

_**Sadly, you have to settle for my lousy description of it. Hopefully your imagination is good enough to where you can still imagine something awesome. Also, throw in Fado fighting off a group of five soldiers or something. Cause I imagined that but couldn't really fit it in without it seeming all interrupty.**_

_**You'll notice I upped the content rating. I thought that maybe that scene where Rusl dies might be a bit over the line. If not, well, the rating would've been upped later anyway.**_

_**So, what did you think? Good? Bad? Tell me how. Can I improve? Tell me how.**_


End file.
